Name: A Guide to Colonia Juárez, Mexico City: Where to Eat, Drink, Sleep + Shop
Brand: northernlauren.com
SKU: northernlauren-com-1
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

A Guide to Colonia Juárez, Mexico City: Where to Eat, Drink, Sleep + Shop

preview

CDMX GuidesFood + DrinkMexicoMexico City3This post may contain affiliate links.Ever since moving to Mexico City five years or so ago, I was always peripherally aware of la Juárez neighbourhood but never really went there that much. Until I moved to it, that is.Written off as dangerous or old-fashioned—with fewer “attractions” than nearby Roma and Condesa—la Juárez is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Mexico City and, honestly, one of the most interesting.Even though it’s certainly growing in popularity, there aren’t the same roving bands of tourists; nor are there the same crowds and general hustle and bustle of the neighbouring historic centre. (This doesn’t quite apply in la Zona Rosa, a sort of sub-section of la Juárez though.)So, if you’re in Mexico City, I definitely recommend spending some time exploring la Juárez—especially if you like great food. Here’s my mega guide to the best things to do in la Juárez, including where and what to eat, what to see and do, and where to stay.INFO | EAT | DRINK | VISIT | SHOP | SLEEP | GET AROUND | FAQColonia Juárez, which I rather blandly described as “neither boring nor super cool” a few years ago in my Mexico City neighbourhood guide, is actually not that boring at all. (I also live here now too!)Sure, it doesn’t have the museums of La Roma or the historic monuments of the downtown, but there’s great food and lots of old buildings to explore.Loosely divided into two parts—Juárez to the east and the Zona Rosa to the west—for the purposes of this post, I’m classing Juárez to be the triangular stretch that runs from Chapultepec Park to Calle Bucareli and is sandwiched by Avenidas Cuauhtémoc and Reforma. Check my interactive map of tourist attractions in Mexico City at the end of this post to see just where everything is.Related Post:&nbsp;A Quick + Dirty Insider Guide to the Best Neighbourhoods in Mexico CityCourtesy of Beth ShookFrom breakfast food to desserts, bagels, and Dutch stroopwafels, this is where to eat in la Juárez. As usual, this list is comprised of my favourites, fan favourites, and places I’m looking forward to trying.Editor’s note: A notable absence from this list comes in the form of Niddo, the juggernaut restaurant “brand” that dominates, like, two entire blocks in la Juárez. That’s because while, yes, the food is delicious, they’ve been called out for workplace abuses. So, we don’t support that.BAD! (BREAKFAST ALL DAY) | Dinamarca 50, Local HOK, full disclosure: my friend is the owner, but I’ve been eating at BAD! since before we spoke in real life. As the name suggests, this is the place to get all-day (well, 9am to 3pm) breakfast food in Juárez and the menu includes plenty of pancakes and waffles in sweet and savoury variations.I personally love the sweet menu options, especially the frozen choc chip waffles that you can take-away and reheat at home.FARMACIA INTERNACIONAL | Bucareli 128Early on in the pandemic, I went through a big ordering-boxes-of-snacks-and-cold-brew from Farmacia Internacional phase and, honestly, no regrets. The place itself is also super cute and great for working. Don’t miss the homemade pop tarts or the cinnamon rolls.BAGELS LEPU | Havre 52When I first moved to Juárez, I started a tradition (that lasted all of two weeks) whereby I’d get Sunday brunch from Bagels Lepu. While I no longer do that, I do stop by regularly for a quick weekday lunch.The bagels are, obviously, delicious (I like the turkey or garlic cream cheese options), while the sweet treats are regularly rotated. Expect to find fruit bars, mini babkas and squishy cinnamon rolls on an average day. And they have YORKSHIRE TEA!Courtesy of Bagels LepuWAN WAN SAKABA | Londres 209If you want a great katsu curry (chicken or pork), check out Wan Wan Sakaba. The menu runs the gamut from curry and ramen to really convenient (and sizeable) bento boxes that are both filling and delicious. And while I haven’t tried the ramen here yet, I have it on good authority from a friend that it’s some of the best in the neighbourhood. (Update: the ramen is very good.)&nbsp;JOE GELATO | Versalles 78Joe Gelato is home to suitably soft gelatos in a range of interesting flavours. While many of the more intriguing ones (think: pan de muerto) are seasonal, staple flavours like dark chocolate and pistachio are available year-round.Recent inventive and artisanal gelatos include olive oil, licor de pixtle, and French fries. You can also get Magnum-esque chocolate dipped ice creams.HOLLAND WAFELS | Versalles 78Dutch cuisine meets Mexico City at Holland Wafels, which sells classic stroopwafels (perfect alongside a cuppa), as well as liege waffles. If you’re in the mood for something savoury, the bitterballen and krokets are also delicious—I personally liked the prawn and mushroom options the best.Full disclosure: I was sent a care package containing a selection of products from Holland Wafels a few months ago, although I’d already eaten and ordered from there before.Joe Gelato photo courtesy of Beth Shook | Stroopwafels courtesy of Holland WafelsCAFÉ NIN | Havre 73One of the better-known restaurants in Juárez, Café Nin is permanently rammed with Mexicans and visitors alike. From vegan-friendly breakfasts to breaded chicken sandwiches and a wealth of pastries there’s a bit of everything here, including coffees and cocktails. And the building is undeniably beautiful.Don’t miss the Panadería Rosetta rol de guayaba, a.k.a. guava roll, or chocolate berlinesas—I recommend getting them to go if you’re short on time.KABAB | Versalles 88-b10As I mentioned in my post about the best Indian food in Mexico City, “I went through a huge&nbsp;Kabab&nbsp;phase for a while a year or so ago and with good reason—it’s affordable, delicious, and centrally located. I wouldn’t say they do my favourite curry in the city, but it’s certainly up there, especially if you’re on more of a budget.”Related Post: The Best Indian Food in Mexico CityDR PIZZA | Lucerna 70bOne of my favourite pizza places in the city, Dr Pizza have classic options with a twist—although, the margarita is perennially popular for a reason. I also love their burrata salads which come with seasonal fruits; I’ve had everything from grapes to peaches, the latter of which work especially well.Given just how thin these pizzas are though, they don’t deliver super well. I recommend collecting your pizza in person or dining in.Dr Pizza and Café Nin. Photos courtesy of Beth Shook.TAMALES MADRE | Liverpool 44aPosh tamales? Sure. I personally prefer street tamales, but if you’re looking to sample a classic Mexican dish with innovative flavour combinations and sauces, Tamales Madre is a great place to do so.PALADAR 94 | Versalles 98I’ve never eaten at Paladar 94, but I’ve heard good things from friends who have. Expect typical Mexican dishes like molletes, chilaquiles, and enmoladas, which make use of ingredients you may not be familiar with such as xoconostle. &nbsp;&nbsp;LUCIO | Versalles 92Weekly taco specials and set menu dishes keep people coming back to Lucio…well, except me, I’ve only been there once (but more out of laziness than anything else). Expect well-priced multi-course meals and a set menu made up of intriguing flavours and ingredients.STREET TAMALES | Esquina Marsella y DinamarcaThese are my favourite tamales in the city and I’m sort of loath to share the location with the world, but trust me—order the tamal oaxaqueño verde, which comes stuffed with spicy chicken in a green sauce and thank me later. You can also get sandwiches, atole and chilaquiles here too.Look, tamales are not very photogenic, OK?TAQUERÍA ORINOCO | Florencia 18Sizeable tacos al pastor, smashed potatoes, and costras de queso make Taquería Orinoco a go-to when I just want to inhale half a dozen tacos. And the food is genuinely very good. If you want tacos but prefer brick-and-mortar stores instead of street stalls, this is a good option.Beware the online ordering though, because basically every time I get Taquería Orinoco delivered they’ve forgotten either the sauces or the pineapple or the cebolla y cilantro. Not ideal. And the amount of plastic! Obscene. Long story short: dine in.PETIT ROQUEFORT | Londres 37Haven’t been yet! But the French onion soup and sizeable sandwiches have had Petit Roquefort on my To Visit list for months. And it’s situated just within the Bazar Fusión complex, so you can combine lunch with some shopping.MASALA Y MAÍZ | Marsella 72Per my Indian food in Mexico City article: Masala y Maíz is “a hybrid Mexican-Indian restaurant…The spiced esquites are delicious, as is the soft-shell crab. Masala y Maíz is probably most famous for the fried chicken though, which was great in the restaurant but arrived a lil burnt when I ordered delivery. Even so, a cool eating experience nonetheless.”Masala y Maíz. Photo courtesy of Beth Shook.From cafés and juice bars to breweries, this is where you should be drinking (at all hours of the day) in la Juárez.SIMPLE CERVECERÍA | Hamburgo 45bLooking for locally brewed beers in a cute bar right in the heart of Juárez? Head to Simple Cervecería, where you can also get growlers of beer to take home with you.Related Post: Craft Beer in Mexico City: The Best Craft Beer Bars, Breweries + Bottle ShopsBLOM CAFÉ | Marsella 59It’s been years since I’ve had coffee at Blom (back in my learning-Catalan-in-Mexico days) but I remember it was great. Hopefully one day I’ll venture back there.AS HAPPY AS LARRY | Liverpool 45If you’re looking for fresh juices and smoothies, look no further than As Happy As Larry, a cute little juice bar on Calle Liverpool.&nbsp;Simple Cervecería, courtesy of Simple Cervecería.PULSO CAFÉ | Londres 56bOne of my current favourite coffee shops in Juárez, Pulso has really good, strong brews. I personally love the iced latte but it has long been known that I’m a coffee drinker with the most basic of tastes.LA RIFA CHOCOLATERÍA | Dinamarca 47No tinto coffee or beer? La Rifa sells freshly made cacao-based drinks made with your choice of milk or water and flavoured with things such as chile and cinnamon. For the full experience, order your drink in a bowl rather than a mug.Alongside the drinks, there are also chocolate-y snacks—I’m personally very obsessed with the chocolate-dipped pretzels, while the ethically sourced and made La Rifa chocolate bars make a cute souvenir for friends back home.FIFTY MILS | Four Seasons, Paseo de la ReformaI was invited for a drink here with an editor of mine a few years ago and I’m glad I was because I don’t think I’d have ever visited otherwise. Situated in the Four Seasons, Fifty Mils—one of the best bars in the world that’s also exactly as old as I am—has all the cocktail classics, plus a selection of weirder concoctions. And the bar itself is sumptuously decorated—think: velvet and squishy chairs.HANKY PANKY | Turín 52More cocktails! I’ve never been! Heard it’s good though!La Rifa and Pulso Café (courtesy of Pulso Café)Compared to the neighbouring Historic Centre or Roma, it’s true that there’s not much to see and do in la Juárez. However, there are still other ways to enjoy the neighbourhood.WALK ALONG REFORMANo matter where you’re staying in Mexico City, it’s worth making the trip to Reforma to walk along this vast, Champs Elysée-inspired avenue. Lined with trees; dotted with sculptures, art installations, and monuments; and culminating in the massive Chapultepec Park, it’s the perfect place for a Mexico City constitutional.VISIT THE CHOCOLATE MUSEUM | Milan 45The Museo de Chocolate is one of the most popular attractions in La Juárez and, although I haven’t been myself, it’s worth visiting if you want to learn about the history of chocolate in Mexico. Plus, you can pick up plenty of chocolate treats in the gift shop before you leave.&nbsp;EXPLORE THE WAX MUSEUM | Londres 6A global classic, the Museo de Cera is always a fun trip especially for travellers with kids in Mexico City. Don’t miss the chance to get a photo op with a massive chair in the lobby and enjoy the simulator ride.&nbsp;Much of the appeal of this barrio comes from its indie stores and boutiques. Here’s where to shop in Colonia Juárez.INCENDIARIAS | Marsella 60A friend described this place as selling ‘feminist tchotchkes’ and, honestly…accurate. Prints, clothes, a select few books (including some Arelis Uribe titles), along with general household decorations make up Incendiarias, a feminist bazaar in Juárez. It’s extremely my shit, tbh.BAZAR FUSION | Londres 37A building that houses many stores, including eco-friendly brands, bags, shoes, and tea stores, Bazar Fusion is a fun place to browse and pick up local products from indie designers. I personally like the used clothes shop, Verde Permuta.&nbsp;QUERENCIA | Dinamarca 46Perhaps one of the better-known plant shops in Mexico City, Querencia is a soothing place to browse and pick up bits and bobs like plant spritzers, pins, eco-friendly cosmetics, ceramics, plates, pots and, of course, actual plants.I WILL say that I think you can get better quality plants from some of the online plant delivery services that have sprung up in CDMX recently, but if you wanna browse in person, this is a good place to do so.QuerenciaLOOSE BLUES | Dinamarca 44I haven’t been here myself, but Loose Blues sells—per their website—“vintage-inspired lifestyle [brands] from Japan, the US, and Mexico”. Loose Blues is also a restaurant that offers Mexican and Japanese cuisine, live music, and special event nights such as tattooing, art shows, and Izakaya nights.&nbsp;UTILITARIO MEXICANO | Marsella 3aYou wanna window shop that minimalist lifestyle that you know you’ll never have? Head to Utilitario Mexicano, a store full of Mexican kitchen supplies, homewares, stationery, clothing, and art prints. It’s a beautiful shop, but the prices can be…extravagant—e.g. US$600 socks (although I have to think this is an error lmao)—so keep that in mind.LIBRERÍA JORGE CUESTA | Liverpool 12Used books in Juárez? Look no further. This labyrinthine shop has stacks on stacks of used (mostly) Spanish-language books, as well as DVDs, magazines, and more. If you like browsing books but not necessarily buying, this is the place to be.Related Reading: Must-Read Books About MexicoPhoto courtesy of Librería Jorge Cuesta&nbsp;Given that I, you know, live here, I’ve never had to book a hotel or any accommodation in Colonia Juárez. However, Reforma is lined with major chain hotels—such as the Four Seasons, Marriott, Holiday Inn, and Fiesta American Reforma—so there are definitely options.If you want a more boutique place to stay in Juárez, the four-star Stara Hotel is a good option. Beyond that…I’m afraid that’s all I’ve got.There’s really no need to take public transport to get around la Juárez because most places are easy to get to on foot. (You can walk from one end of the neighbourhood to the other in around 45 minutes.)However, should you find yourself feeling a touch lethargic, there are good public transport connections on either side of la Juárez. The Mexico City Metro Pink Line runs the length of Cuauhtémoc, to the south of the neighborhood, while the Metrobus Line 7 runs along Reforma to the north. &nbsp;One good thing about this part of the city is that the pavements tend to be wider and in better shape than other areas. However, those with wheelchairs or limited mobility may not find it the easiest area to navigate.Related Reading:&nbsp;A Beginner’s Guide to Using the Mexico City Metro&nbsp;|&nbsp;A Beginner’s Guide to Public Transport in Mexico City&nbsp;I’d say the most common question asked about Colonia Juárez is: is it safe? And the answer to that is yes and no. Personally, I wouldn’t go to the Zona Rosa alone after dark, nor would I walk around alone after dark. But that’s my rule for Mexico City in general.As you would in any city, keep your valuables tucked away and don’t flash the cash if you want to protect yourself from petty theft or pickpocketing. And keep important documents in your hotel, flat, AirBnb, etc.By day, I think Juárez is perfectly safe by international city standards. Use common sense and you should be fine.Have you visited La Juárez? What do you think to this Mexico City neighbourhood guide? Let me know in the comments!Also enjoy your articles. I continue to travel to Mexico City once a year. So much I have yet to see or do. However, reading your articles adds to my to-do list! You do a great job! Have a great one!! Hello from Texas!Hanky Panky is great! You just need to do RSVP as it’s a speakeasy. Hope you can go soon!This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.I’m Lauren, a Mexico City based, British freelance writer and blogger.If you like slightly sarcastic, often subjective but always informative and amusing travel, food and cultural guides, then you should really stick around, because I (try but often fail to) post weekly.If you find my content amusing, vaguely useful or all of the above, buy me a coffee using the button below to say thanks!The Archivo de Apoyo website, created by my friend Beth Shook, offers a bilingual overview of community and creative aid projects in Mexico City launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis.Copyright © Lauren Cocking - All rights reservedNorthern Lauren is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com/Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.ca and affiliated sites.

CDMX GuidesFood + DrinkMexicoMexico City3This post may contain affiliate links.Ever since moving to Mexico City five years or so ago, I was always peripherally aware of la Juárez neighbourhood but never really went there that much. Until I moved to it, that is.Written off as dangerous or old-fashioned—with fewer “attractions” than nearby Roma and Condesa—la Juárez is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Mexico City and, honestly, one of the most interesting.Even though it’s certainly growing in popularity, there aren’t the same roving bands of tourists; nor are there the same...

A Guide to Colonia Juárez, Mexico City: Where to Eat, Drink, Sleep + Shop

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS